Ef Troop stamps Magic Millions 2YO Classic claims with brilliant performance
Having his second start since taking out the QTIS Two-Year-Old, C&G (1050m) at Doomben on debut on 4 November, Ef Troop showed his quality and high speed in winning Saturday’s race in brilliant fashion by five and a half lengths and in a fast time.
He showed tremendous early pace, soon found the lead and then increased his advantage that had his opposition, granted being only four rivals, off the bit and struggling to keep in touch 600 metres from home.
Ef Troop then coasted to the line with the Tony McEvoy-trained colt Crockett (All American), an impressive winner on debut at Morphettville at his only other start, battling on well for a distant second.
Time for the 1110 metre journey was 1:03.69 (11.47 200m rate), equivalent to 1:08.85 for 1200 metres.
That proved to be 0.63 seconds faster than the time recorded by Outback Barbie (Spirit Of Boom) in winning the following race over the same distance, the Calaway Gal Stakes (Listed, 1110m).
And Ef Troop’s sectional times, as recorded by Daily Sectionals, were also outstanding.
Clocked from the 800 metres point, Ef Troop returned 200 metre sections of 10.76, 10.80 (400m in 21.56), 10.96 (600m in 32.52) and 11.62 for his final 200 metres.
His closing sectional times therefore being: 44.14 (last 800m), 33.38 (last 600m, which was the fastest recorded by any winner on the nine-race card) and 22.58 (last 400m).
On The Watch was also taken by Ef Troop’s generous and fluent stride, the juvenile appearing a natural high-speed youngster.
But questions remain: can he be ridden off the pace? If not, can he maintain that hot tempo in a contested lead and extend his talent to the 1200 metres of Magic Millions 2YO Classic?
That is likely to be answered at the Gold Coast on 13 January where Ef Troop is now the favourite at $4 with CrownBet for that $2,000,000 race.
Another unbeaten juvenile, the David Atkins-trained Jonker (Spirit Of Boom) is now second favourite for the race at $4.20 after his impressive victory in yesterday’s Wyong Magic Millions 2YO Classic (RL, 1100m).
Jonker tracked the free-running leader La Pomme De Pin (I Am Invincible) at a fast clip before moving up to take the lead at the home turn.
He then raced away to score brilliantly by just over four lengths in a time of 1:03.95 (11.62 200m rate), equivalent to 1200 metres in 1:09.76 with his final 600 metres in a quick 34.85.
Both Jonker and Ef Troop are stylish winners of their only two race starts, both recording excellent times, Ef Troop’s sectionals being the more impressive but they now both go to the Gold Coast looking justified in heading the betting for what shapes as a most interesting renewal.
Another juvenile to take the eye recently, but obviously not a prospect for the Magic Millions which is restricted to horses purchased at that sale, was the John O’Shea-trained colt Irish Bet (Smart Missile) who impressed in taking out the Inglis Nursery (RL, 1000m) at Randwick on Saturday.
After settling nicely in sixth place, behind a good tempo, Irish Bet then came with a well-timed run to take the lead on passing the 200 metres before going on to score comfortably by just over a length in a time of 58.44.
Irish Bet returned very good sectional times with a 200 metre breakdown from the 800 metres being: 10.31, 10.98 (400m in 21.29), 11.41 (600m in 32.70) with his final 200 metres in 12.38 to give the colt a quick final 800 metres in 45.08.
The runner-up, the Paul Perry-trained Ragged Rascal (Denman) fought on well in smart time, as too the Mark Newnham-trained Canyonero (Pierro) in taking a good third.
While two late-closers to impress on the watch were the Tony McEvoy-trained pair Sanctimonious (Foxwedge) and Logan River (Snitzel).
Sanctimonious drew a wide barrier and came from 11th at the home turn to finish fifth, clocking 44.92 (last 800m), 34.44 (last 600m) and 23.17 for his last 400 metres.
While Logan River also drew badly and he did well in making ground from back in ninth place at the home turn to finish sixth, clocking 45.29 (last 800m), 34.79 (last 600m) and 23.51 for his last 400 metres.
But the most discussed sectional times recorded over the past week were the early fractions of the tearaway leader Cabeza De Vaca (Northern Meteor) in Saturday’s Villiers Stakes (Gr 2, 1600m) at Randwick.
Josh Parr’s daring ride, which saw Cabeza De Vaca establish a huge lead, stringing the 14-horse field out over a distance of 25 to 30 lengths at one stage, before holding on weary legs for a game half-length second to the late-closing winner Crack Me Up (Mossman).
And while many spectators and media praised Parr for creating a visually exciting race the stewards subsequently told him that he had made an error of judgement in the middle stages in setting too fast a tempo and that a rider of his standing would be expected to be aware of the tempo he was setting and to rate his mounts accordingly.
The hectic pace resulted in the winner recording a fast overall time of 1:34.98 on the Good 4 track with the mid-race sections from the 1400 metres to the 1000 metres being the controversial part where Cabeza De Vaca returned a 200 metre breakdown of 10.69, 10.81 and 10.99 – which is a fast 600 metre mid-race section of 32.49.
Parr’s tactics did result in an exciting race but clearly such a fast early time was probably going beyond standard limits expected at that point of a 1600 metre race, which speaks volumes for the courage of Cabeza De Vaca holding on so well for second, and a relatively narrow defeat, it was too.
Accordingly the closing times recorded by a number of runners were quite impressive, the winner Crack Me Up clocking 1:21.22 for his last 1400 metres, the third-placed Interlocuter (Medaglia d’Oro) 1:21.01 while the Irish-bred import Mister Sea Wolf (Amadeus Wolf) clocked 1:20.75 in running on well for fifth in an eye-catching effort at his second Australian start.